ADVANCEMENT OF MARINE SCIENCES 7 



In doing so it follows a formal recommendation of the Committee 

 on Oceanography of the National Academy of Sciences, which reads 

 as follows: 



The Committee on Oceanography beheves that the U.S. 

 Geological Sm'vey should have authority and should be 

 encom'aged to conduct basic and appHed geological research 

 on a worldwide basis as well as within the continental limits 

 of the United States. 



At present statutory limitations under which the Geo- 

 logical Sm*vey operates are unreaUstic. Many of the geo- 

 logical features of vital importance to the mission of the 

 Smwey were originally or marine origin. Similarly, many 

 geological features (including potential petroleum fields) 

 extend from the continental United States into the Conti- 

 nental Shelf. 



The Geological Survey has a long history of significant 

 and respected scientific accomplishments in geology. To 

 continue in this fine tradition and to assume its rightful place 

 in the developing national program m marine sciences, the 

 Survey must have the authority to conduct scientific inves- 

 tigations without regard to arbitrar}'- geographical limitations. 



The Committee on Oceanography strongly recommends 

 thac appropriate legislation be enacted to revise the U.S. 

 Geological Survey charter accordingly. 



The Department of the Interior also w^ants these limitations removed. 



Studies of the geological structure of the ocean floor wi]l be of value 

 to inland as well as coastal States. 



This was pointed out in a letter with reference to S. 901 sent to 

 Senator John A. CarroU, of Colorado, by 16 members of the faculty 

 of the Colorado School of Mines, Golden, Colo. The letter stated: 



Dear Senator Carroll: We the undersigned individual members 

 of the facidty of the Colorado School of Mines are vitally interested 

 in the future of the marine sciences in the United States. To this 

 end we believe that the passage of legislation such as that introduced 

 in the Senate by Senator Magnuson, of Washington, as the ^Marine 

 Sciences and Research Act of 1961 (S. 901) is essential to the con- 

 tinued growth of the marine sciences during the next decade. There 

 is a critical lack of knowledge concerning the oceans, and that lack 

 must be overcome. 



Although the State of Colorado is far removed from the oceans, the 

 marine sciences are not without du'ect application to the problems of 

 the State. Many of the rocks, for instance, which are exposed in 

 Colorado were originally deposited beneath the waters of oceans which 

 covered the continents during past geological ages. A better knowl- 

 edge of the processes which are going on in the oceans today will en- 

 able us to interpret the conditions under which the rocks of Colorado 

 were laid down. This interpretation in turn can lead to greater de- 

 velopment of the mineral resoui'ces which are' so abundant in our 

 State. 



